Ambassador Gunasekera presents credentials to the OPCW in The Hague

Sri Lanka’s new Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Rekha Gunasekera presented the Letter of Credence to the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fernando Arias, accrediting her as the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the OPCW. The ceremony was held recently  at the Headquarters of the OPCW in The Hague.

The Director-General congratulated Ambassador Gunasekera and briefed her on the work of the organisation and its contribution to disarmament and non-proliferation activities. He appreciated Sri Lanka’s cooperation and assistance in implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention. He also outlined the activities of the new Centre for Chemistry and Technology (ChemTech Centre) which is an upgrade to the OPCW’s research, operational, analytical, and capacity building capabilities.

Ambassador Gunasekera affirmed that Sri Lanka remains firmly committed to the work of the OPCW. She commended the Technical Secretariat, led by Director-General Fernando Arias, for its commitment towards the effective implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, particularly in the confirmation that all declared stockpiles of chemical weapons were destroyed last year, which is an important milestone in the history of the OPCW.

The Ambassador acknowledged the close cooperation between the OPCW and Sri Lanka, and stated that she looks forward to enhanced cooperation in the coming years, particularly in capacity-building activities in relation to the chemical industry. Ambassador Gunasekera further encouraged the OPCW to consider Sri Lanka as a venue to hold international and regional meetings/ conferences of the organisation.  

Sri Lanka was one of the early signatories of the Chemical Weapons Convention, having signed the convention on 14 January 1993 and ratified it on 19 August 1994.